Giving girls hands-on experiences to encourage STEM careers

AAUW Gaylord Area Branch partnered with the Zonta Club of Gaylord Area, Michigan, for its sixth annual Tech Savvy event. The program seeks to encourage more females to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and to support young women on a path toward becoming self-supporting and self-sufficient.

With a US$3,000 grant from Zonta International, the daylong Tech Savvy event engaged 180 6th-9th grade girls in hands-on workshops involving STEM skills and introduced them to a variety of female role models working in real-world STEM professions. The event included information about challenges women might face in STEM fields and how to overcome these challenges, as well as general life-skills training. In addition, 30 parents and adult mentors were trained on how to support girls in their STEM pursuits.

“I enjoyed seeing so many (female) role models in STEM and the classes were so fun!” one participant noted.

Click here to view a slideshow of photos from the event.

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